Matthew 5:44

KJV1611 – Modern English

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν, εὐλογειτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμᾶς, καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοὺς μισοῦντας ὑμᾶς, καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς, καὶ διωκόντων ὑμᾶς·

Transliteration

Egō de legō to-you, Agapate the echthrous of-you, eulogeite the katarōmenous you, kalōs poieite to-the misountas you, and proseuchesthe for the epēreazontōn you, and diōkontōn you;

Grammar Details

• *Egō*: nominative personal pronoun - I
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and
• *legō*: present active indicative, 1st person singular - I say/tell
• *Agapate*: present active imperative, 2nd person plural - love!
• *echthrous*: accusative masculine plural - enemies
• *eulogeite*: present active imperative, 2nd person plural - bless!
• *katarōmenous*: present middle/passive participle, accusative masculine plural - cursing
• *kalōs*: adverb - well/good
• *poieite*: present active imperative, 2nd person plural - do!
• *misountas*: present active participle, accusative masculine plural - hating
• *proseuchesthe*: present middle/passive imperative, 2nd person plural - pray!
• *epēreazontōn*: present active participle, genitive masculine plural - mistreating/insulting
• *diōkontōn*: present active participle, genitive masculine plural - persecuting

Word Meanings

• *Egō*: I/myself
• *legō*: say/tell/speak
• *Agapate*: love (agape - selfless, sacrificial love)
• *echthrous*: enemies/foes/opponents
• *eulogeite*: bless/speak well of
• *katarōmenous*: cursing/pronouncing evil against
• *kalōs*: well/good/nobly
• *poieite*: do/perform/act toward
• *misountas*: hating/detesting
• *proseuchesthe*: pray/petition
• *epēreazontōn*: mistreating/insulting/abusing
• *diōkontōn*: persecuting/pursuing/harassing

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  But I saye vnto you love youre enimies. Blesse the that coursse you. Do good to them that hate you. Praye for them which doo you wronge and persecute you

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But I saye vnto you: loue youre enemies: Blesse the that cursse you: Do good to the that hate you: Praye for the which do you wronge and persecute you,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But I say vnto you, Loue your enemies: blesse them that curse you: doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you,

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But I saye vnto you, loue your enemies, blesse them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for the which hurt you, and persecute you:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ‹But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;›

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  but I -- I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those accusing you falsely, and persecuting you,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But I say to you, Have love for those who are against you, and make prayer for those who are cruel to you;

• World English Bible (2000)

  But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you,

Referenced Verses

• Luke 6:27-28 : 27 But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
• Rom 12:14 : 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse.
• 1 Pet 3:9 : 9 Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
• Rom 12:20-21 : 20 Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink: for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
• Luke 23:34 : 34 Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. And they divided His garments and cast lots.
• Prov 25:21-22 : 21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD will reward you.
• 1 Pet 2:23 : 23 Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously:
• Acts 7:60 : 60 And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, do not charge them with this sin. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
• Luke 6:34-35 : 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks do you have? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward shall be great, and you shall be children of the Highest: for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.
• 1 Cor 4:12-13 : 12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it. 13 Being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.
• 1 Cor 13:4-8 : 4 Love is patient, and is kind; love does not envy; love does not boast, is not proud, 5 Does not behave itself rudely, does not seek its own, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs; 6 Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
• Exod 23:4-5 : 4 If you encounter your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying under its burden and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.
• 2 Kgs 6:22 : 22 And he answered, You shall not strike them: would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
• Ps 7:4 : 4 If I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me; (yes, I have delivered him who without cause is my enemy:)
• Ps 35:13-14 : 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned to my own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.
• 2 Chr 28:9-9 : 9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 10 And now you purpose to keep the children of Judah and Jerusalem as bondmen and bondwomen for yourselves, but are there not with you sins against the LORD your God? 11 Now hear me therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive of your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you. 12 Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, 13 And said to them, You shall not bring the captives here, for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, you intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass, for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. 14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the congregation. 15 And the men who were mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, and dressed them, and shod them, and gave them food and drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble among them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren. Then they returned to Samaria.